We were lucky to catch up with Kristina Blackford recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kristina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright, let’s jump into one of the most exciting parts of starting a new venture – how did you get your first client who was not a friend or family?
In a coffee shop! The woman next to me was firing off work related voice messages. I don’t know why, but my intuition told me that she was someone I needed to meet. I introduced myself to her and explained that I was getting ready to launch my business. She seemed genuinely interested and asked for my information. Not only did she become one of my favorite clients, but a friend too!
This exposure served as a reminder to trust my gut, take chances and create opportunities.
Kristina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m the founder of Placed., an interior styling and organizing business. My specialty is creating spaces that look beautiful and function efficiently. My philosophy of romanticizing daily life guides my approach to every project.
From a young age, I was very interested in design and aesthetics, but I never had a clear vision of how that would manifest into a career. I started out in the corporate world as a marketer and struggled to find fulfillment. After having kids, I knew that I wanted to create a business that would allow me to contribute to the household financially while remaining available for my family. As the daughter of an entrepreneur, the idea of working for myself was always appealing (it’s giving big Aries/Generator energy) but a traditional brick-and-mortar wasn’t a good fit for my lifestyle. So when I considered starting a business, I kept those parameters in mind and worked backwards to find a solution. Now, I’m able to make my own schedule, keep overhead low, and take on work that is creatively fulfilling.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Being self-employed is a constant exercise in resilience. The scrappiness that it takes to completely start a whole business is something else… it‘s also scary! Becoming a mom really helped prepare me for the challenge. I can definitely draw parallels to conceiving and raising a human and starting a business. One being that you are solely responsible for keeping it alive. No pressure! Just like in parenthood, despite the challenges, the pride and love I have for my craft drives me.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I’ve had to relearn what it means to be successful. Rather than chasing promotions and job titles, I’ve learned to prioritize my passions and how to capitalize on them. In my opinion, if you are happy, you are successful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.placedstyling.com
- Instagram: @placedstyling
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/kristinablackford
Image Credits
Olivia Grant and Alyssa Flood